Domenico Scarlatti

Necessary and fundamental. An old post of mine

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/1266-lo-scarlatti-di-emil-gilels/?hl=scarlatti

I find it brilliant, regarding his sonatas; I didn't quite understand the correspondence that Ricordi makes with the 'L' or 'K' classifications commonly used today? Could you help me?

Maestro Altieri (our user), who wrote a couple of books specifically on Scarlatti's sonatas several years ago, passed me this correspondence list:

n.1 = L23 - K38
n.2 = L58 - K64
n.3 = L104 - K159
n.4 = L187 - K481
n.5 = L263 - K377
n.6 = L324 - K460
n.7 = L331 - K169
n.8 = L338 - K450
n.9 = L345 - K113
n.10 = L375 -K20
n.11 = L381 - K438
n.12 = L413 - K9
n.13 = L422 - K141
n.14 = L424 - K33
n.15 = L429 - K175
n.16 = L430 - K531
n.17 = L433 - K446
n.18 = L465 - K96
n.19 = L475 K519
n.20 = L486 - K13
n.21 = L490 - K523
n.22 = L498 - K202
n.23 = Lsuppl.3 - K513
n.24 = L39 - K249
n.25 = L499 - K30

Is anyone, however, able to examine this hypothesis?

n.1 = L23 - K380

n.24 = Lsuppl.39 - K441

AlessioM wrote:

What do you think? I have just "discovered" it and I would like to have your opinion on the matter.

Consider that geniuses like Stravinsky recovered much of ancient music, apart from Bach and Gesualdo, proposing their music in a parodic sense by adapting it to his style... and indeed the 1920 symphony for wind instruments - the first composition to be defined as "neoclassical" by musical magazines, and the term symphony is used to define the playing together of different instruments with particular sonic materials - relates an skillful counterpoint, a procedure present in the compositions: Octet for wind instruments (1923), in the concerto for piano and wind instruments (1924) and in the piano sonata.

These pieces, due to their conception and sobriety of writing, make explicit reference to the music of J. S. Bach but also to D. Scarlatti, as well as in the concerto in E-flat major "Dumbarton Oaks" for chamber orchestra (1938) and in "Themes and Conclusions" from 1972.

Therefore, I agree with Marta

In effect Xenakis, even without going that far... in some preludes of the second book of Bach's WTC there are bipartite structures of evident stylistic derivation from Italian style sonatas; one random example: D. Scarlatti.

In any case, in general, it is important to know about the galant style that spread at the beginning of the 1700s; it was the domestic instrumental practice for amateurs on keyboard instruments (harpsichord, clavichord) involving the performance of pieces that presented a dualism between the melodic line and the accompaniment, with a clear separation in the use of the right and left hands.
The new musical orientation that developed between 1730 and 1760 refers to the "galant" man, represented by the nobleman who appreciates everything that is "modern," "free," and opposed to everything that is ancient. "Modern" music is that represented by Neapolitan opera and, especially, opera buffa. Johann Mattheson (1681-1764) is the theorist-composer who defines the galant style as an expression of the new and the modern, contrary to that of contrapuntal derivation. In the writings "The Orchestra Refounded" (Hamburg, 1713) and "The Perfect Chapel Master" (Hamburg, 1739), he highlights the figure of the professional musician compared to the galant homme, who must avoid all kinds of pedantry. In the treatise "The Ideal Orchestra" (Hamburg, 1721), he associates the concept of galanterie with refined melodies accompanied by sweet chords.
In these considerations, the role of an audience is highlighted which, in addition to being consumers of shows, is also performers.

To be clear, stylistic aspects:
- Dualism between melodic line and accompaniment.
- Singable melodies with a symmetrical structure (phrase/response - antecedent/consequent); in slow tempos, the melody is embellished with appoggiaturas, mordents, trills, and turns.
- Rhythms are uniform and connected to those of dance, with simple and repeated patterns.
- The elementary harmonic structure presents the predominance of triads within the tonic or dominant, with modulations to closely related keys, and the accompaniment consists of triplets and broken arpeggiated chords.

The "Alberti bass" derives precisely from the Venetian harpsichordist/singer and composer Domenico Alberti (1710-1740), the first who made frequent use of this type of accompaniment.

Harpsichord compositions written by Italian composers from 1730 onwards present a two-movement structure:
- the first in a fast, binary tempo
- the second in a dance rhythm, ternary such as the minuet or the gigue.
Venice and Naples were the Italian centers of greatest musical production for the galant style; and thus come the sonatas of D. Scarlatti (1685-1757)

- He is the principal composer of keyboard sonatas of the 1700s, with a production of as many as 555 sonatas characterized by an extraordinary variety and richness of thematic ideas.
- Born in Naples, son of Alessandro Scarlatti, one of the greatest composers of the era. Johan Joachim Quantz (1697-1773) cites Domenico Scarlatti in his biography and defines the Neapolitan composer's style as "galant."
- In Rome, he composed 12 melodramas.
- In 1719, he was called to Lisbon in the service of King Joao V (1689-1746 and King from 1706) as a harpsichord teacher and chapel master.
- He wrote sacred music for the Lisbon cathedral and secular compositions for the court such as serenades and cantatas.
- From 1728 to 1757, he went to Seville and Madrid following the Spanish royal house, and during this period he dedicated himself mainly to keyboard composition and developing his own original instrumental style.
- He composed other pieces such as 30 essercizi per gravicembalo published in London in 1738 and another 500 Sonatas collected in 15 volumes.

The schema of the single-movement sonata is bipartite with a symmetrical structure in tonal relationships:
- from the fundamental key to that of the dominant (major or minor), then returning to the initial key through various harmonic passages.
- Scarlatti's sonata structure is not rigid and is characterized by timbral variety (echo effects, progressions, repeated notes, etc.).
- The sonata presents a simplification of the musical design into 2 parts, often in dialogue or imitation; others instead present a title such as "the cat's fuga" (because occasionally a cat had gone onto the keyboard and played those notes).

In the compositions, there are allusions to other musical instruments such as trumpets, mandolin, horns, guitar.

Dance patterns drawn from folk tradition are also used.

An expressive timbre is also sought using harmonic effects, with systematic use of diminished sevenths and enharmonic passages.

Frank wrote:

Maestro Altieri (our user), who wrote a couple of books specifically on Scarlatti's sonatas several years ago, passed me this correspondence list:

Maybe I found them, thanks!

http://books.google.it/books/about/Le_forme_particolari_nelle_sonate_di_Dom.html?id=tVzytgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Le forme particolari nelle sonate di Domenico Scarlatti

Xenakis wrote:

the first composition to be defined “neoclassical”

Neoclassicism must have done Scarlatti good; in fact, even the Spaniard Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), among his works of a specifically “Neoclassical” tendency, has the “Concerto for Harpsichord and Five Instruments” (1923-1926) which recalls precisely the writing of the early 1700s and that of D. Scarlatti (in short, it exalts an anti-romantic sonority).

Frank wrote:

Maestro Altieri (our user), who wrote a couple of books specifically on Scarlatti's sonatas, passed me this correspondence list several years ago:

n.1 = L23 - K38

n.2 = L58 - K64

n.3 = L104 - K159

n.4 = L187 - K481

n.5 = L263 - K377

n.6 = L324 - K460

n.7 = L331 - K169

n.8 = L338 - K450

n.9 = L345 - K113

n.10 = L375 -K20

n.11 = L381 - K438

n.12 = L413 - K9

n.13 = L422 - K141

n.14 = L424 - K33

n.15 = L429 - K175

n.16 = L430 - K531

n.17 = L433 - K446

n.18 = L465 - K96

n.19 = L475 K519

n.20 = L486 - K13

n.21 = L490 - K523

n.22 = L498 - K202

n.23 = Lsuppl.3 - K513

n.24 = L39 - K249

n.25 = L499 - K30

Is anyone, however, able to examine this hypothesis?

n.1 = L23 - K380

n.24 = Lsuppl.39 - K441

I don't know... I found a practical automatic converter: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/music/marinkyo/scarlatti/referenco.html.en.

AlessioM, Scarlatti is a universe: from the galant style to counterpoint, Iberian and Neapolitan folk influences, brilliant harmonic solutions ante litteram, ideas and themes that appear and disappear like enchanting musical cameos.

In my view, a genius with an unmistakable voice, a pity he was too compressed in keyboard writing. After all, he was successful essentially as a harpsichordist.

Personally, I don't quite agree with the recurring statement (made also by Marta in the other post) that "Scarlatti seems written for the piano".

While it is true that his sonatas possess a cantability and an expressiveness that is entirely Italian and Iberian, which in my opinion derives from being born (furthermore, son of Alessandro) in the heart and golden age of the Neapolitan School, it is no less true that, for example, some sonatas sound very well (I am not saying "seem written for") even on the organ.

The beauty of his writing (which largely applies to Baroque music) is its versatility to be performed with different instruments without losing, and indeed enriching, its expressive potential.

pestatasti wrote:

Personally, I don't quite share the recurring statement (also made by Marta In another post)

I think that instead we have written the same thing, just differently and above all in another context. And indeed, rereading

I would add that the recordings of these giants (I am also thinking of Horowitz with the same Scarlatti, Richter with Handel, Gould with Bach) are concrete proof that this music is written for the piano... regardless of whether the instrument existed or not and regardless of whether philological performances sound, and rightly so, completely different.

As Voltaire said... or to put it in Calvino's words: "a classic never finishes saying what it must say"

If one day a new keyboard instrument is born, it doesn't necessarily mean that

pestatasti wrote:

the flexibility to be performed with different instruments without losing, and indeed enriching, its own expressive potential.

pestatasti wrote:

... I found a practical automatic converter: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/music/marinkyo/scarlatti/referenco.html.en.

The converter confirms my hypothesis for 1, but for 24 I didn't quite understand how to handle "Lsuppl.39"; however, it confirms the one from Altieri's book.

I agree, Marta. For many years I struggled with this idea and ended up convincing myself that Scarlatti's sonatas must be played on our instrument in an expressive and cantabile manner. I have revisited many of my interpretations and readings of the Author and I am increasingly convinced that they were written for a keyboard instrument that has no time. The instrument seems to be, as it is indeed, only a means to communicate the great idea. Probably in one of my next concerts I will open the program precisely with 4 or 5 of the sonatas chosen from those I prefer (There are so many... how does one do it ???!!). Long live Scarlatti!

and furthermore I would add that... the sound of an instrument, in the end, expresses a bit of the spirit of its era (for me not "a bit" but a lot).

Every era has had the sound, the sounds, that it wanted and that it wanted to seek or modify.

If Scarlatti's keyboard works, as well as Bach's, were born on the harpsichord... long live the harpsichord. But if the piano, which was the master of the Romantic era, has kept Scarlatti and Bach "in their own home" making them "feel at home," even this is a good thing: a sign that a musical work is something living, and (in the case of keyboard works) tolerates, if not even "demands," changing homes as eras and tastes pass (but this is not a statement that I feel holds true for every keyboard work).

Long live the harpsichord and long live the piano!

But let there be no religious wars

Terenzio has completed his work on Scarlatti

http://www.flaminioonline.it/Biografie/Scarlatti-catalogo-sonate.html

i find the columns convenient to sort according to the chosen catalogue.

The great Terenzio amazes once again!

The funny thing is that I feel like laughing when they write to me: "You from the editorial staff"

Joking and kidding, the composers examined on the site have become 48 and the relative Listening Guides 2,284.

Today I even set a record of 2,192 visits in one day!

I announce in advance that the next composer will be Camille Saint-Saëns on commission from Frank, who has some comments for me to include.

I hope I'm not going off-topic, but I wanted to take the opportunity to suggest this musical gem by Catemario:

https://itunes.apple.com/it/album/barocco-napoletano/id190207725

The physical CD is also available on Amazon. SPECTACULAR.